Never given up
by Bat-dove
Summary: Why the scarab can't leave Jaime. A what if of what would happen if they did remove it. Kaiji isn't so happy. Jaime can't do anything. And nothing is really what it seems to be. Either that or I'm just insane.


I will not stand for this.

"Holy shit it's loose!"

I will not wait and hide.

"Detain it!"

I will not be contained.

"Damn it! The hell is this thing made of?!"

A rare mina- no time. I will not stay under lock and key.

"Damn it! Call the League!"

I will protect what is mine.

"Now."

And no one will stop me.

-.-

"How are you feeling Jaime?"

A thin Latino boy looked up from the bed.

"Cansado," he said with a smile. He was lying in a pristine white hospital bed in white pajamas. Only his head moved over to look at his present company, "How are you Cassie?"

"Fine," she said, her voice betraying her by spiking up a few pitches higher. Jaime smiled at the blond.

"That's good. How's the team?"

"They miss you," she said softly. Jaime rolled his eyes.

"I'm sure they do."

"They really do!"

_Then why are you the only one who comes to see me?_ He thought to himself. He didn't mind though. He knew he was boring and useless. The scarab went silent and then was effectively removed from his back. It seemed like so long ago he was arguing with the annoying back bug. It might have been. Since its removal he had been left paralyzed from the neck down. He was stuck to wherever anyone would take him.

"I know Cass. I know," he said softly. His brown eyes looked toward the window for a second before looking back at Cassie.

"They asked me to bring flowers," she said placing fresh cut plants in his vase. He smiled at the bright colors that now would remain in his room.

"Gracias," he smiled.

"De nada," she laughed. They had become closer friends since he had been admitted to the hospital partially because she had so much trouble in Spanish. Jaime somehow became her Spanish tutor Batgirl found out.

Little did they know a path of destruction was laying waste not too far away.

"How did the scarab come back online?" Bart yelled wide eyed at the team. Cold meticulous blue armor stood tall as it aimed weapons at the heroes. Cruel, lifeless, and unforgiving eyes glossed over the team as it attacked whoever dared try and get close to it. It didn't matter who. It didn't matter why. It seemed to have a goal in mind.

The noise of the group mingled in the air of orders, groans, gasps, moans, growls, and the rolling hum of an engine.

"It doesn't matter. Detain it," Night Wing told the young heroes. The scarab narrowed its eyes.

_I will not be stopped. I must protect what is mine._

The scarab lifted his arm and created a plasma cannon. It shot quickly making the heroes jump about letting it slip away in silence.

_I am coming._

"Anyone else noticed that nothing was destroyed?" a disgruntled Robin commented as they looked around for the walking armor. The eyes of the team members looked around. Nothing _had_ been damaged.

"He used a flashlight?!" La'gann spat out angrily. He hated that scarab. He felt growing respect for Jaime who used to put up with that menace on his back no less.

"But I thought he was going to kill us," Beast boy muttered standing close to M'gann. Bart shook his head.

"Beetle always had a body. I didn't know he could make his armor like that. But I guess it uses a lot of power so he can't use weapons," he muttered.

"Then he's going to the nearest city for a body," Night Wing said finishing the thought. And the nearest city was El Paso, "Oh damn."

Each member looked at one another for a second before piecing together what was going on.

"It's going to kill Jaime," Bart said aloud voicing everyone else's fears. Each one had heard Jaime tell stories about the scarab once it was removed. Its thoughts. Its malicious nature. It's cruel and calculating ways. Conner stood silent. Fear did not etch his face like the others. He glared in the direction of the scarab. He knew of the scarab's overprotective nature when he was on Jaime. He had heard Jaime argue with it before and to Conner, it almost sounded like a stoic older brother. He just couldn't see the scarab doing what the others were thinking. Nonetheless he remained quiet not knowing the armor's full intention.

'_Don't do anything stupid Kaiji. I won't forgive you if you hurt anyone especially Jaime,'_ Conner thought to himself.

"Move now!" Night Wing called signaling some members into the bio ship and others to proceed on foot. Conner remained on foot with Beast boy and Bumblebee.

-.-

Jaime sighed in content as he began to drift off to sleep. There was nothing else to do anymore. Just rest. Technically he was scheduled for surgery to replace what was missing of his spine to look forward to but that wouldn't do much. He would never be able to repair what he had lost. Nothing short of a miracle, or some crazy ass alien tech. Not magic. They already looked into that. He didn't register the click from his door or the footsteps that walked to his bed. He had fallen completely under the spell of sleep when cool metal fingers touched his cheek.

Orange eyes stared emotionlessly at him. The mouth moving yet no words coming out. The being closed its eyes as if going into meditation.

"Jaime…"

It placed its hand over Jaime's. Armor opened up and slipped around his hand. The armor seemed to gain luster over the hand. The fingers moved slowly making the being frown.

_What did they do to you?_

Slowly it moved its arm over Jaime's, opening up to place Jaime inside. Once up to the shoulder…

"FREEZE!"

The armor froze not even looking at the group it knew stood behind. They couldn't see Jaime. They didn't see what was going on.

"Step away from Jaime scarab," Bart said uncertain. The scarab remained impassive.

"You will come with us," Night Wing stated. The scarab blinked. But soon decided they wouldn't do anything too bad with Jaime in the room it slid its hand under Jaime's back lifting him up off of his bed.

"The hell are you doing!?" La'gann yelled charging. Kaiji turned making them all freeze. It was obvious to see one arm of the armor covering Jaime's skin, and Jaime himself hanging like a rag doll. Conner's eyes narrowed but also didn't move. Kaiji blinked at them before bolting, breaking and jumping out the window with one paralyzed Jaime Reyes.

"Oh My God!" Batgirl yelled running to the window. On the ground it seemed like even more of Jaime was in the armor. Actually it was. His left leg along with his left arm was now in the blue material, "This is not good," she said jumping from the window, the team following sans Night Wing and Conner.

"Aren't you going?" Conner asked.

"Aren't you? I know you care about Jaime."

"This is out of character for you isn't it?"

Night Wing didn't respond and continued his glare at Conner. Conner eventually sighed.

"Kaiji won't hurt Jaime."

"…Kaiji…?"

"The scarab. Jaime has told me about his arguments. I don't think the scarab wants to hurt him."

-.-

"Get off of him!" Cassie yelled. She hadn't thought twice before attacking the armor with Jaime attached. She began trying to pound away at the armor that wasn't connected to Jaime. The team struggled trying to pin down the elusive alien tech all growing angrier with each passing moment they couldn't do anything. The armor had spread to Jaime's other arm and leg as well as his nether regions leaving the torso and the head of the armor left.

Weapons were being built at alarming rates and fired at the heroes destroying buildings on the edge of town. Slowly however, brown eyes were opening with all the commotion.

"Un momento," Jaime muttered trying to go back to sleep.

"JAIME!" Cassie cried. Chocolate brown eyes flew open. He looked around confused.

"Eh? What's going on?"

"The scarab-!"

Jaime looked down and noticed blue armor covering his clothes. It wasn't until it began to cover his neck that he recognized the armor.

"Kaiji," he said softly as it slipped over his face. He blinked once before falling to the ground. He felt something he hadn't felt since the scarab left. Ungodly pain rippling throughout his back pulsing from in between his shoulder blades. He did not feel his arms and legs spazzing even as the team tried to hold him down. He felt his tears trickle down his cheek between his skin and the cool armor.

_Sleep Jaime. Everything will be fine_.

And for once he listened not thinking about why the scarab could once again talk, falling into the pools of unconsciousness.

"Oh my god."

Two weeks later.

"They really want to see you," Conner said sitting in a chair. Jaime smiled at his pseudo brother.

"Manana hermano," he said sitting up. Only slight pain from his back made him remember his returning tenant. Conner rolled his eyes as Jaime slipped his feet out of the bed and onto the floor.

"I can't believe this is happening," Jaime said pulling himself off the bed leaning slightly against the wall. He felt cool metal trace over parts of his legs for support.

"I can."

Jaime looked at Conner confused. Conner gave a small smile.

"Kaiji likes you."

Jaime's look of confusion grew.

"Do I need to spell it out for you freshman?" he joked. Jaime gave a sheepish smile and began to rub the back of his neck.

"I just don't get it," he said.

"Kaiji's not good at showing emotion. Kaiji is a piece of technology after all. But Kaiji and Sphere both have people they care about. Sphere cares for me, Wolf and even you freshman, while Kaiji seems to be watching out for you 24-7. The armor, the weapons, the "advice", all of that is because Kaiji cares."

"You think?"

"Why don't you ask Kaiji?"

"I… I can't. Green Beetle shut its voice off."

"Just listen for it Freshman. I'm sure you'll hear it," he said leaving Jaime to his thoughts and to go kill more rumors that someone on the team (most likely La'gann) was spreading. Jaime looked over his shoulder at the scarab.

Ever since it reattached itself Jaime had felt different. It had started with a twitching finger. Then a moving arm when he was telling a story not really realizing he was moving it. Then he somehow kicked the sheet off his bed.

With some testing Night Wing had discovered that Kaiji had been repairing Jaime's spine and nervous system. Of course, that wasn't something they had told the team quite yet. Jaime wanted to be able to walk in and see them himself rather than have freak movements on a visit. He didn't have to worry too much on that though. Kaiji seemed more than willing to assist in controlling his movements and reteaching his muscles the proper movements.

He sat back down on the bed. Closing his eyes he focused his mind on the scarab.

'_Thank you Kaiji.'_

_It proves useful to me that you are well._

Jaime's eyes flew open.

"Kaiji?" he said aloud.

_Yes._

Jaime smiled.

"I'm going to see the team."

_Statement: Dangerous. Do not advise._

"Oh who asked you?" he joked standing back up walking toward the door. It was good to be back.

…**Why did I write this? Review?**


End file.
